Chile Forum

Chile Forum in English for Gringos, Expatriates, and Travelers to Exchange Ideas and Information about Chile, South America. For more than a decade, the Chile Forum has been the center for expats to share their collective knowledge and experience about living in Chile. The Chile Forum is a free community service brought to you by the law office of Spencer Global.

In the south I've met a few US missionaries who were proselytizing with just conversational Spanish. But overall you're facing a huge competition here: just check the number of small churches in any poor neighborhood of any city. By the way, the local Buddhist monk gives talks in English with a translator but gathers overcrowded lecture halls. So the law of supply and demand easily breaks any language barriers.

SpaceCat, thank you. I appreciate that. I tried explaining before, but I did not explain well. Perhaps 99% of the ministers one might meet are "pastors," who lead brick-and-mortar churches. But that's not me. I am more of a theologian, or a seminarian (a religious college professor). If it helps illustrate, right now I am sitting in a bus in Bogotá traffic on my way to Cali airport, after finishing up two weeks of training a couple of Colombian pastors who want to start radio, Internet, and brick-and-mortar operations in their cities (Bogota and Pasto, Colombia). And I train other pastors and evangelists around the world. I also work daily with a man and his wife in Valdivia (although he is not a pastor). So while I personally don't lead meetings, I help train "locals" who do. I more work on the doctrinal and training materials, etc.

I hope that information helps. (I apologize for any spelling errors in this bouncing bus.)

I have to give credit to the Mormon Church for being able to infiltrate virtually every working class barrio in Chile.

I believe bobserb posted the number of US persons legally resident in Chile for my digs in the province of San Antonio (a little more than 70) and I bet a third of that number are Mormon missionaries.

Eeuu, I hear you. The Mormons knock on my door also. But we are not aggressive like that, because our goal is not to fill pews or collect a lot of tithes to pay Masonic/Illuminis Jesuit masters. (No offense intended toward any Mormons, Masons, Illuminists, or Jesuits reading this.)

If it helps, our "target audience" consists of those who are already studying their Bibles, and who are searching for an organization that teaches and facilitates what the Bible really says to do. And (to put it simply) that is not a lot of people, because what the Bible really says to do is not easy. So mostly we post things online, pray, and then wait for the Spirit to lead those people who are already searching for answers, to us.

I wonder if they are winning the Jehovah's Witnesses vs Mormon battle for souls. I haven't had a JW ring the bell in quite a while. Not complaining.

Donnybrook, maybe it isn't fair, but usually it is the low-level JWs and Mormons they send out to knock on doors. I feel sorry for them, because most of them don't really know much about their Bibles (or the Book of Mormon). But I figure if they are knocking on my door, taking up my time when I did not ask, then they are fair game. So unless I really don't have time, I usually invite them in for a Bible study, and ask them questions that neither they nor their leaders can answer.

JaJa. The way it works in my digs, the Mormon missionaries live in mid-uppermid class condos (probably for security reasons) among the population. In fact, in the two condos I've lived in in my locale since 2006, I was probably the only other estadounidense in the condo complex if not the area for kilometros.

One day I was cleaning up and prepping things getting ready to cook with a nice buzz going listening to BB King when my door rang. It was my fellow resident Mormon missionaries probably on a practice witness call. I was impressed the young joven moreno hispanic dude from the EEUU wiith two of his native Chile trainees knew I was listening to BB. Had a nice conversation as my step-daughters and brother of my wife are for survey purposes Mormon not to mention my long deceased cousin but I made it clear in my pleasant obvious buzzed state that my lush ways will forever prevent me from being a Mormon (did not bring up any "Jack" Mormon jokes from the States).

Generally, just a SPAM KILLER. You are on your own in this forum. My personal mission here is done.

BUT when necessary, by way of ridicule and truth revelation we shalt do war.

Long story short, I am a Bible minister in the USA, and am looking to relocate to Latin America. I have what might be called a religious teaching (or educational) foundation, with aspirations to grow into a full denomination some day (but to do it right takes a lot of time, and at the moment I am not there yet). I have some pension income, and some other income from the ministry. The move all hinges on me being able to establish a religious foundation / ministry in Chile, or to extend my existing US ministry into Chile. Does anyone know where to find the regulations on how to establish a religious foundation in Chile? Especially, can a resident start a religious educational foundation in Chile (or if not, is there a good way to work-through)? I can pay for good knowledgeable legal counsel, but I want to educate myself on the laws in Chile first.

If anyone could point me to the correct office or URL I would appreciate it very much. Thank you for your help.